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<p>Nutrition is important to people of all ages, but is particularly important to the well-being of children. Well-nourished children are more likely to be better prepared to learn, be active and maintain their health as adults. Today many children have unhealthy eating patterns which are contributing to the rising rate of childhood overweight, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Not only are these poor eating habits in childhood a concern, it is likely they will be transferred into adulthood and increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.</p>
<p>Getting kids to make healthy food choices can be tough. The following suggestions can help put your family on the road to healthy eating.</p>
<ul>
    <li>Use positive messages. Let kids know there are no good or bad foods; everything can be eaten in moderation.  Encourage them to choose most foods from the four food groups.</li>
    <li>Be a good role model. Children are strongly influenced by their parents eating habits and attitudes towards food. If they see you eating healthy foods, they will likely follow suit</li>
    <li>Make healthy eating easy. Keep "ready to eat" healthy foods on hand for when hunger strikes.</li>
    <li>Involve children in planning meals, preparing breakfast, packing lunches, and selecting snacks. Use this as an opportunity to talk about healthy choices.</li>
    <li>Set "nutrition ground rules" so children know what to expect. For example, everyone in the family eats breakfast, milk is the beverage served with meals, after school snacks come from the four food groups</li>    
</ul>